I've got a question, it may seem simple to some, but I'm still quite new at this. I've been sailing my 14 Hobiecat with family for about twelve months now, but summer is back apon us here, and I'd like to be able to take the cat out solo. The biggest problem I would have is setting the mast up. It's quite heavy for me. (running the sails up would be challenging enough, without having to lug the bloody mast into place!) Anyway, Does anyone have a setup for leaving the mast & foot in place, ready to just be righted? Some way of locking the foot in place but still being able to store it on the trailer as is?

As it is, whenever we sail it, it takes upwards of 20 minutes to setup, and rig before we can even get started on sailing!

Does anyone; who actually knows what their doing (which isn't me!), have any tricks or ways of making this any easier?

20 minutes for set up really isn't too bad. There are some tips and tricks that will help shave off a few minutes but really the largest time savings will come from becoming more familiar with the boat. Enjoy the process and the speed will come.

Before the mast step hinge was invented, the technique was to stand on the tramp and lift the mast vertically until you could set it in the step, while a buddy hooked up the forestay.

If you want to do it singlehanded, tie the tail of the main halyard to the mast rake line (or another piece of line tied to the bridles), hoist the mast, tighten the halyard/cleat it off, then pin the forestay to the bridles.

If you want to do it singlehanded, tie the tail of the main halyard to the mast rake line (or another piece of line tied to the bridles), hoist the mast, tighten the halyard/cleat it off, then pin the forestay to the bridles.

So I'm guessing the rope to raise the mail sail... so I tie off the other end somewhere

The mast rack line? is that the front sail to the bridles?? the rope between the front of the boat?

OK hoist the mast, check, that's what I want to do. But how do I hoist it, it doesnt sit in the mast holder very well

It wasn't so much a technical answer as it was an answer using the correct names for boat parts. I gave you a succint response to your question, assuming you had a basic grasp of boat terminology.

"Main halyard" is pretty basic. Maybe one level up from"mast", "hulls" and "rudders".

The mast rake line is tied to the intersection of the bridles, and when the boat is fully rigged, runs back to a simple cleat on the front crossbar. You pull it in (which pulls the forestay/bridles toward the front crossbar) to rake the mast further forward (for going downwind). You release it to go upwind.

But not all 14s have them, so my apologies for not explaining that part.

You need to get your mast base / mast hinge issues sorted out first before you can raise the mast solo.

The middle paragraph makes no sense to me, I do not have a grasp of boat terminology which is why I bought a much cheaper Hobie 14 then 16. I have very little idea what Im doing

Do yourself a favor and buy one of the hundreds of introductory books on sailing. Heck, even just download a copy of the Hobie 14 assembly manual. You need to educate yourself to some degree before you take on sailing. If you don't know what the mast, forestay, tramp (trampoline), halyard, etc. are, then you probably don't have a clue about what you need to do when you get on the water either.

Seriously, if you want to get the most out of your boat and out of your time on the water, do a little reasearch first - this is pretty basic stuff you're asking about.